Some evidence on geminatio consonantium between standardisation and variation

As is known, alternation between single and double consonant spellings is attested in epigraphic sources, at least from the third century BCE. However, the variables governing this alternation are a debated topic in the scientific community. This paper focuses on Latin consonant gemination in a set of Latin inscriptions from Rome and Italy, where the presence or absence of geminatio consonantium is related to several variables, including dating, text type and word class. Our results confirm that consonant gemination appears to be on its way to standardisation during the second century, thus confirming the traditional assumptions proposed in the literature. However, variation is observed and possibly depending on the level of formality of the text. From the first century BCE onwards, consonant doubling seems to be generalised, and the few divergent spellings might either be ascribed to conservatism or writing mistakes, depending on the type of text.